Ice-creeper



(No Model.)

C. N. SHANNON. 10B GRBEPER.

Patented Sept. 24, 1889.

:VNI llt @e H N. PETERS, Photo-Linqrzphnr, Washington. D. Cy

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OYRUS N. SHANNON, OF ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA.

ICE-CREEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,512, dated September 24, 1889.

Application filed June 21, 1889. Serial No. 315,082. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS N. SHANNON, a citizen of the United States, residing' at St. Cloud, in the county of Stearns and State of Minnesota, have invented certaiol new and useful Improvements in Ice-Creepers, of which the following is a specification, reference be ing had therein to the aceompan yin g drawings.

My invention relates to ice-Creepers adapted to be secured under the soles of boots and to be promptly removed therefrom; and the objects of my invention are to produce a simple, light, and inexpensive ice-Creeper particularly adapted for use by railroadbrakemen and others who have to climb and walk on top of freight-cars when they are slippery from various causes, and to permit said ice-Creeper to readily bend and conform itself tothe periphery of boot-soles and without materially interfering With their elasticity. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side view of a boot provided with ice-Creepers'constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a slightly-modified form of a creeper provided with straps to adapt it for use with rubber overshoes. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a boot with the ice-creeper attached thereto.

In said drawings, A represents a pliable band of metal bent about the middle of its length in conformity with the toe end of the boot or shoe and having its extremities adjustably united together under the instep of said boot by any suitable means.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the means are shown to consist of two links and a pivoted lever, the link B having one end pivoted at h to a longitudinally-slotted link O, and the latter is adj ustably connected to one extremity of the band the ice-Creepers to or remove it from a boot, one of the extremities of t-he band A being pivoted at h3 to the lever D at a point between its pivot and its thumb-piece.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the links B O and the lever D are dispensed with, but the extremities of the band Aare made to lap past each other, and one of said extremities is longitudinally slotted, and a screw d passes through the slot and enters the screw-tapped opposite extremity of the band A and clamps together the lapped portions ot' said band; and although this mode of securingr the icecreeper to the boot is oi' simple construction.

it is not regarded as reliable as that shown in Figs. l and 2.

The band A has no continuous flanged edge to extend under the sole of a boot, as it would interfere with the flexibility of said band and its adaptability to conform with the edge of the sole of said boot, but has only a series of distinct and separate lugs A2, flanged therefrom, that extend a short distance inwardly under the sole of a boot, and each lug has a pointed spur a to readily engage into ice or other slippery surface. The lugs A2 are preferably made to project slightly beyond the edge of the band A, (or, when in use, below said edge,) so that as the sole rests only in parts upon said lugs the somewhat yielding leather of the sole will, under the ball of the foot, bear upon t-he metal rounds of the ladders or stirrups usually found at the ends of freight-cars, and will not be as liable to slip sidewise upon said rounds or stirrups, and will thereby prevent accidents to the user.

To retain thc ice-Creepers suspended from the sole of a boot, its upper edge .is provided with two or more inwardlyflanged short lips CL2-one opposite each lug A2, Figs. l and 4- that rest in the groove formed between the sole and the upper of a boot, and retain the ice-Creeper in position in connection with the clamping device under the instep..

If the ice-creeper is to be used with rubber overshoes that have no perceptible groove bet-Weenthe sole and upper, the lips of the band are kept turned up, as shown at a3 in Fig. 3, and at these points the ends of straps E are riveted to the band A, one of the straps of IOO eaeh pair being provided with a buekle e to receive one end of the strap to secure the deviee tothe foot of the wearer.

I am aware that ice-Creepers have been formed of a plate more or less eut away in the center and applied to the bottom or Wearing surface of the sole of a boot, and secured thereto by clamps engaging with the edge of the sole, and also With straps, and said plate has also been made in sections hinged at the toe end 5 but they all differ from my continuous flexible metal band, that enoireles the edge of the sole and leaves the ball of said sole entirely free from metal surface.

Having noW fully described my invention7 I claim- 1. An ice- Creeper consisting of a flexible metal band having its middle portion bent to lit around the edge of the toe end of a sole and the edges of said sole, a series of separate lugs A2, lian ged therefrom and adapted to extend under the sole and provided with spurs l and lips a2, inwardly proj eeting from the up- CYRUS N. SHANNON. Witnesses:

JAMES E. WING, ANDREW C. ROBERTSON. 

